


Their Story: Billy Hargrove

by emulationgame



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Gay Billy Hargrove, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Interviews, M/M, Singer Billy Hargrove, magazine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:22:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22729096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emulationgame/pseuds/emulationgame
Summary: Lead singer of The Vandals, Billy Hargrove, sits down with Pride Magazine for his first interview since coming out. In this raw interview, Hargrove discusses his coming out experiences, struggles with self-acceptance, and his plans for the future.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, implied
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Their Story: Billy Hargrove

**Author's Note:**

> I uploaded this edit on Tumblr a year ago but I decided to tweak some things and post it here! follow me on Tumblr here: https://netflixandchilis.tumblr.com  
> Hope you enjoy!

****

**  
Their Story: Billy Hargrove**

_By Adam Pierce_

Lead singer and frontman of The Vandals, Billy Hargrove, recently revealed he was in a relationship with another man. In a simple Instagram post, the star stated, "For everyone asking about the girl that inspired my songs... this is him." The simple caption was accompanied by a photo of a man sitting on the beach at sunset looking out to the waves. We are only able to see the back of this mystery man which, we can only assume, was intended to keep the man's identity a secret. 

Hargrove is well known for being the primary lyricist of the band. That being said, there has been speculation over who the singer's muse is since the band's formation. Although The Vandals are a rock band, many of their songs are surprisingly romantic. The lyrics are often gender neutral, which was assumed to be an attempt to keep the songs universally relatable, but perhaps there is more to it. 

Hargrove has been quiet since he posted the picture three weeks ago, but has decided to sit down with us to reveal some more of his story. In this raw interview Hargrove discusses his coming out experiences, struggles with self-acceptance, and his plans for the future.

**In your post you made it clear you were in a relationship with a man, but what do you identify as?**

I'm gay. I have always been gay, but I haven't always admitted it. I took a long time for me to come to terms with who I am attracted to and even longer for me to use the word "gay"... but that's what I am.

**What made you decide that now was the right time to come out?**

I was tired of hiding. I had never allowed myself to just be... out. I was already in the band when I came to terms with my sexuality and I was afraid of jeopardizing that. I love music, and when I got the chance to really embrace that, I didn't want to risk losing it. I eventually told [my band mates] and they were very accepting. We didn't really talk about it after that, but it was the first positive experience I had with coming out. It took me getting into a serious relationship to realize I couldn't pick and choose who knew if I wanted it to work; it was either a life of secrecy and constantly being terrified of being outed or being proud of who I am and being in a happy relationship. I chose the later.  
  


**You said that telling your band mates was the first positive experience you had coming out? Did you have any negative experiences?**

Yes. When I was sixteen I was messing around with a boy from school. It was all very innocent; we would kiss and that was about it. My father came home early from work one day and saw us. He punished me for it, took me out of school, and moved us to a close-minded town in Indiana. He pretended like it never happened after that... and so did I. I left when I was eighteen and never looked back.

**Do you think being gay has or will affect the band?**

It would be naive to say no. That was one of the biggest things holding me back. Eventually, I realized I was the only one worried about the negative impact it might have. When I asked the band how they would feel if I came out they all encouraged me. I was shocked, but they just said that anyone who would stop supporting a band because one of the members was gay wasn't welcome to enjoy our music anyway.

**Now, the most important question, who was the man in the photo?**

My boyfriend.

**How did you meet?**

We met a long time ago, but we didn't start dating until later down the line. We reconnected and started hanging out, we were both hesitant to do or say anything that wasn't strictly platonic. One night something clicked and I decided to ask him out. I figured I could pretend it was a joke if he rejected me, but he didn't.

**Where do you see yourself in a year?**

Oh God... I hope I'm still making music I love with my band. Maybe working on another album and tour. I want to buy a house and find a place to settle down, my apartment isn't really cutting it right now. I just hope I'm happy and I still have everyone I love in my life. That's it...


End file.
